Charles William, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

August Friedrich Karl Wilhelm ( * November 19, 1754 in Frankfurt am Main, † July 21, 1782 in Sonneberg ) was Duke of Saxe- Meiningen in the Age of Enlightenment.

Life

Charles was a son of the Duke Anton Ulrich von Sachsen -Meiningen and his wife Charlotte Amalie of Hesse- Philippsthal.

After the death of his father in 1763 his mother took him and his brother George I assumed the regency in Sachsen- Meiningen. Karl was carefully trained in the spirit of the Enlightenment and developed an early interest in science and the arts. Educational trips to Switzerland and France were included in his education with. In Frankfurt am Main, where Karl's father had his residence, he met Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and both were wont in the years to personal contacts.

1775 has come of age, he served as co-regent with his mother, where he acted in mitigation by limiting his royal household on the financial position of the deep indebted country. He was also credited with the general popular education in Saxony- Meiningen. Karl was a member of the Masonic Lodge Charlotte at the three cloves, which founded in 1776 under his leadership one of the first teacher training in Germany. Together with his brother he began rebuilding the representative of the residence Meiningen.

In 1780 he married in Gedern Princess Louise ( 1764-1834 ), daughter of Prince Karl Christian of Stolberg- Gedern with which he, however, had no children. Two years later, the mother of the reign of Charles stepped back and ruled jointly with his brother George I., until his death at the age of only 28 years. Successor as sole regent was his brother George.